Kubota Corporation has officially joined the 170 members of Inno’vin, one of the leading clusters in Europe dedicated to viticulture innovation.
L-R: Gilles Brianceau, director of the Inno’vin cluster; Dominique Trioné, president of the Inno’vin cluster; and Hervé Gérard-Biard, VP business development Kubota Holding Europe
The manufacturer says this partnership will allow both organisations to work together to identify and respond to the current challenges faced by the wine sector, including labour shortage and issues related to the development of sustainable agriculture.
Thanks to the various actions carried out by the Inno'vin cluster, Kubota say they will be able to access high-tech startups in vineyard automation and boost new collaborations, such as pilots and proof of concept projects to deliver integrated solutions with the cluster’s members, or directly invest in companies.
According to Kubota in recent years, labour shortages have become a global problem, especially in vineyards, which use labour-intensive practices and are currently in need of a skilled and non-skilled workforce.
“Through its membership of the Inno’vin cluster, Kubota aims to find partners and start-ups that might have an impact on growers’ sustainability, profitability and well-being. We are also looking into the possibility of establishing innovation projects with cluster members experiencing cultivation issues, which will allow for technology transfers,” said Daria Batukhtina, business development manager at the Kubota Innovation Centre Europe.
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From robots and drones designed to help winemakers get the best out of their vineyards to consumer-oriented apps, the wine industry is already taking advantage of new technologies. In areas such as wine growing and harvesting, in which mechanisation has not yet been fully implemented, Kubota say they are already collaborating with start-ups that rely on advanced technologies to provide a connected service that anticipates the issues that farmers will be facing in the future.
“Innovation is achieved through different synergies: between people, between areas of activity, and between technologies. All of them share a common focus on farmers’ needs. In this regard, Inno'vin makes every effort to ensure that these activities are carried out efficiently. We are glad to have Kubota among our members and closely working with players within the ecosystem,” said Gilles Brianceau, director of Inno’vin cluster.
